Legislative Assembly · District of Eltham
Rachel Busbridge
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Eltham›
The Eltham district covers Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs including Eltham, Eltham North, St Helena, Lower Plenty, Montmorency, Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen, plus parts of Greensborough and Briar Hill, spanning about 73 km² in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Labor's Vicki Ward held the seat at the 2022 election with a two-party-preferred margin of 9.0% over the Liberal candidate. The district was created ahead of the 1992 election and was initially won by the Liberal Party, before Labor regained it at the 2002 election and has held it continuously since. The 2026 field is five candidates: Labor's Vicki Ward, the Liberals' Paul Byrnes, the Greens' Rachel Busbridge, the Victorian Socialists' Maeve Riches and One Nation's Jessie Weatherley. At the 2022 election Ward won 44.5% of first preferences and 59.0% two-party-preferred.
Background
Her Victorian Greens profile describes her as a university lecturer in sociology and a union advocate. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BUSBRIDGEAustralian Greens Victoria, "Rachel Busbridge, Candidate for Eltham"View source
Her university and union are not named.
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Climate action, "protecting our tree canopy and biodiversity, and preparing our community for increasing bushfire risk".
Public transport investment, education funding, healthcare access and active transport infrastructure.
Offers "a progressive alternative" to decades of Labor representation.
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free and freeze rents for two years; nothing is attributed to Busbridge personally.
Crime and community safety
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14; nothing is attributed to Busbridge personally.
Housing affordability and supply
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment; nothing is attributed to Busbridge personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise land tax to 5.3% for investors with $5 million or more of residential property; nothing is attributed to Busbridge personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Names public transport investment and active transport infrastructure as priorities.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make trains, trams and buses permanently free.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
Names education funding as a priority and works as a university lecturer.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding.
Health and healthcare access
Names healthcare access as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists.
Urban planning and housing density
Wants to protect the tree canopy and biodiversity.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate action as her first priority, including bushfire preparedness.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and ban new coal and gas projects.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would back the Statewide Treaty Bill without amendment; nothing is attributed to Busbridge personally.
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Her priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BUSBRIDGE, ET-GREENS-POLICYAustralian Greens Victoria, "Rachel Busbridge, Candidate for Eltham"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her profile mentions no prior candidacy. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BUSBRIDGEAustralian Greens Victoria, "Rachel Busbridge, Candidate for Eltham"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Eltham results; the Greens' candidates were Matthew Goodman (10.44%) in 2018 and Alex Grimes (13.5%) in 2022. VVerified — WIKI-ELTHAM-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Eltham"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Busbridge has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The Greens' 2022 Eltham candidate polled 13.5%, above the 4% mark.